What's Going On

The Fallowfield Historical Society will meet on Monday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Peoples’ Hall in Ercildoun. The meeting will consist of a Show and Tell session, where members and guests are invited to bring in items of local historical interest. There will also be a work session to discuss this year’s fundraiser. Volunteers will be needed. Annual dues, still $5, will be collected at the meeting.

For more information, contact society President Rusty Young at 610-857-1824 or e-mail at rdrr0010@verizon.net.

The following local Catholic elementary schools will have open houses on Sunday, Jan. 27 in conjunction with Catholic Schools Week:

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ABVM) Catholic Elementary School, 290 State Road, West Grove, from 1 to 3 p.m. All are invited to visit and tour the school including the new Middle School Building and Fine Arts Classroom.Registration for grades Pre-Kindergarten (age 4) through 8th will be accepted and staff members and parents will be on hand to provide tours and answer questions.For more information, visit www.assumptionbvmwestgrove.org

Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School, 205 Church Road, Oxford, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.During this time faculty and parents will be on hand to provide tours of the school building and answer questions.The school continues its Open House throughout the week and invites any interested families to come in and observe the classroom setting as well as meet with the Principal and teachers to discuss academics, tuition assistance, and teaching strategies.

St. Basil the Great Catholic School, 2330 Kimberton Road, Kimberton,from noon until 1 p.m. A second open House will be held on Monday, Jan., 28 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. St. Basil the Great offers classes for children three years of age through 8th grade. In the fall, depending on interest, the school will offer a full day 3-year-old program as well as a 2-year-old program. Meet Father Gary Pacitti, pastor, and Principal Mary Cronin. Current St. Basil the Great School parents and students will be available as well. Enjoy a tour of the school and the newly renovated Middle School and supplementary classrooms. Please RSVP to Jen Miller at 610-933-2453 or jmiller@stbasils.org.Private tours are also available at other times upon request.

Open knitting resumes Jan. 28, 6:30-7:30, then continues on 4th Monday of the month, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Parkesburg Library. Everyone is welcome, beginners to advanced, knitting or other hand work.

The library is located at 105 West St. For information, call 610-857-5165.

Wildlife in Winter Series: Part I will begin Jan. 27, 10 a.m. to noon at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve, 432 Sharp Road, Avondale.

During this three-part series, learn about what changes an animal must make to ensure survival during the winter months.

The Chester County Library in Exton will offer the Chester County VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program starting Tuesday, Jan. 29. The VITA program is sponsored by Life Transforming Ministries. The program offers free tax preparation to low and moderate income households. Since IRS certified volunteers do your tax preparation on IRS provided software, you will never have to pay to have your taxes prepared and filed, nor to have your refund electronically deposited!

VITA volunteers will be available to complete tax returns at the Chester County Library & District Center in the Struble Room on the following dates:

No appointment necessary. Taxes will be prepared on a first-come-first-served basis.

Chester County Library is located at 450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton, Pa 19341. For information about Chester County Library, visit www.ccls.org/ccl or call 610-280-2600.

The Henrietta Hankin Branch Library, 215 Windgate Drive, West Vincent is offering free computer classes. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn and explore features of Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint during these hands-on classes. The library is also offering classes on how to download free library e-books to your e-reader.Classes include Computer 101 – A class for the beginner who can type and use a mouse but wants to understand more; Introduction to Microsoft Word, Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint, Introduction to Microsoft Excel, Learn to Drive Overdrive - for Kindle Users –Downloading e-Books, Learn to Drive Overdrive - for Nook Users-Downloading e-Books.

Additional information about these classes can be found at the online calendar. A link to the calendar can be found at www.ccls.org/Hankin. Space is limited for the classes and registration is required. Registration starts 2 weeks before the class. You may register online or by calling 610-321-1710. More classes will be offered in February.

Waterloo Gardens, West Whiteland, is holding a Souper Bowl event on Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. -2 p.m. Local restaurants have been invited to bring in soup and have customers judge who has the best soup. The customer judges are being asked to donate $5 or 3 cans of soup which will be donated to the Lord’s Pantry of Downingtown.

The event may be viewed at www.waterloogardens.com/event?id=246

Students interested in exploring career and technical opportunities are invited to attend the three Technical College High School (TCHS) Campuses’ Open Houses in January. The Brandywine Campus will open its doors from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23. The following evening – Thursday, January 24 – the Pickering and Pennock’s Bridge Campuses will hold Open Houses from 6 to 8 p.m. and 6 to 8:30 p.m., respectively. Prospective students and their families can tour the buildings, meet teachers and students, learn about the programs, and enjoy light refreshments provided by Culinary Arts students.

TCHS Pennock’s Bridge is a public high school free to students residing in Avon Grove, Kennett Consolidated, Octorara Area, Oxford Area, and Unionville-Chadds Ford school districts; TCHS Brandywine serves students from Coatesville Area, Downingtown Area, and West Chester Area school districts, and Bishop Shanahan High School; and TCHS Pickering serves students from Great Valley, Owen J. Roberts, Phoenixville Area, Tredyffrin/Easttown, and West Chester Area school districts.

Applications are currently being accepted for all three TCHS campuses. Interested students can learn more and apply online by visiting www.technicalcollegehighschool.org.